Parted Differences
by TEAR GEM
Summary: It's a Viktor Krum/Hermione Granger fic... It's about people's differences and what they have to do to overcome them and to understand each other better...


PARTED DIFFERENCES (1/?)  
By Kristine Biggerstaff http://pub54.ezboard.com/ukristinebiggerstaff.showPublicProfile?language=EN  
  
EMAIL: babyface@youareadork.com  
CATEGORY: ROMANCE/ HUMOR  
KEYWORDS: Krum/Hermione, Yule Ball, Book Four  
SPOILERS: For GoF  
RATING: G  
SUMMARY: Krum hides his real identity from Hermione because to him it seems that no one wants to be his real friend because he's so famous. It's about differences people have to overcome in order to understand one another.  
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am planning to continue this fic. I believe that this is a good one. . . Flames will be used to heat dragon eggs.. This fic isn't finished yet but please read it. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks. :)  
  
  
***  
  
  
Viktor Krum simply detested giggling girls. And right now, there were half a dozen of them following him in hushed whispers and their muffled giggles. He broke into a brisk jog at the same time trying to find a place where he could hide. His steps turned into a run as he spotted the library. Good, he could squeeze himself into the immense shelves of books and no one would spot him. He entered the enormous library while a librarian who looked like a skunk was under her nose surveyed him with two beady eyes. As soon as he was out of her sight, he sprinted as fast as he could to the end of a long corridor which was formed by rows each consisting of two tall towering bookshelves. He was able to stuff himself in a small space allotted by a gap between the shelf and the wall.   
While he was still in Bulgaria, Viktor figured out that something like this might happen. He never did like being in the center of attention. He dug into his robes for his "weapon". It was a pair of thick-rimmed black glasses and Look-like-a-Loser-lotion (something indistinguishable in Bulgarian). He rubbed the greasy solution onto his face and wore the ugly glasses, hoping that in case those girls see him again, they wouldn't recognize him at once. Seconds later after the lotion began showing its effect, his face was covered in artificial acne, his mouth full of braces and his eyebrows thicker than ever. The effect only lasted for three hours. He heard about a pair of dozen feet and the flutter of robes, with giggles, run past his hiding place. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a minute... counted one to a hundred... listened in silence... then squeezed out of the gap. He shook the dust of his robes and stifled a sneeze.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" a voice startled him. Viktor must've jumped ten feet in the air. Even his glasses were almost knocked off from his nose. He slowly turned around, expecting to find the grim-faced librarian. Instead, he saw a student. A Hogwarts student. Viktor thought hard of what he was going to say...  
"I vas... I vas... looking for a book about..." He glanced at the section label. "...herbs..."  
"Herbs? Really? I could help you if you want! What's your name?" She asked, her eyebrows raised as if she knew something that Viktor didn't.  
"Viktor... Viktor..." he mumbled looking at his feet. "...Poliakoff..." he finished, adapting a schoolmate's surname.  
"So you're from Durmstrang? Your accent tells me you're Bulgarian. How'd you like Hogwarts so far?" She said while pulling a book out of a shelf.  
Viktor almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. This girl actually didn't know who he was. Being the youngest professional Seeker in the whole Quidditch history, Viktor gained fame, money and the admiration of thousands of Quidditch fans.  
"I like your school. It is very vunderful..." He mumbled again, keeping his eyes on the well polished  
ground.  
"Well, it ought to be.... it's quite homey, don't you think? Hogwarts is like a second home to us. I'm in Gryffindor." She said. The girl gave him a smile, showing her teeth, the two fronting too big.  
"Excuse me...? What's a Gri-vvin-dorf?" As he spoke a foreign language, Viktor didn't understand much of what the girl had said. She talked so fast and excitedly that her bushy hair bounced up and down.  
"Oh, I forgot you didn't know. It's Gryffindor. Gry-ffin-dor. It's one of the four houses here in Hogwarts. The other three are: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." She spoke a bit slower but Viktor still couldn't understand much of what she was saying. He gave her an awkward smile instead.  
"Anyway, are you looking for a particular kind of herb? Or are you just browsing?" She asked, turning her head back to the bookshelves.  
"I... I am browsing... for... for an herb," Viktor flushed at his poorly spoken English.  
"What? You've got to speak louder and clearer because I can't make out any of what you're saying." The tone of the girl's voice was a bit sharp.   
With her remark, Viktor flushed pink.   
"Herbs... Herbs..." He said, trying to muster up his best to speak in an understandable way.  
"Why? What's your favorite herb? Mine's aconite!" The girl smiled again, showing her two big front teeth. Viktor didn't know what to answer. This girl actually had a favorite herb? He thought about what his Potions master back at the Durmstrang Institute taught him.  
"My favorite vould be... daisy roots..." He stuttered.  
"Daisy roots? I don't think that's an herb...anyway, here's a book that you'd like to check on. It's called "1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi". It's very informative. Or this one. This one is called 'Magical Drafts'. I was supposed to read those for Herbology but I guess I can find other books since I'm quite familiar with the library. You aren't." She chattered on as she heaved two of the five thick books onto Viktor's arms.  
"T-thank you," he said, struggling at the weight.  
"Well, I'd better run off now. I still have to finish my homework. Arithmancy, you know. See you around." the girl said then turned to go.  
Suddenly she stopped in her tracks and whipped her bushy head around.  
"By the way, I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger. It was nice meeting you." She said as she gave him an approving glance and briskly turned on her shoes. With a heave of three hardbound books, she was gone.  
  
  
  
The Gryffindor common room was bustling with people. The Weasley twins were busy setting off firecrackers in the middle of the room. Neville Longbottom was in deep conversation with Ginny both who looked like were dealing with Herbology projects. Seamus Finnigan, Lee Jordan and Dean Thomas were all discussing famous Quidditch moves by the corner while Seamus showed off his Omniculars to the two. Parvati Patil was with Lavender Brown both who looked like were making their own tarot cards. Hermione spotted Harry and Ron playing a quiet game of chess by the thick armchairs.  
  
"Hello!" Hermione sat beside Harry and Ron in the Gryffindor common room.  
"Where'd you come from?" Ron asked. He didn't take his eyes off the chessboard.  
"I went to library. I had to look for a book about Magical Creatures and some for Herbology. I like reading about them." She said as she showed them a thick brown book with a gold spine.  
"She picks out a 400-page book for light reading," Harry said but didn't take his eyes of the board. Ron gave out a responsive snort then said, "Bishop to E3."("Hey, no fair", Harry said.)  
"For your information, you two should do the same. I do not see the point of---" Hermione began.  
"Checkmate!" Ron yelled as he jumped up. Apparently, his knight was able to corner Harry's king, leaving the king cowering behind the queen.  
"Hey, no fair!" Harry stood up, knocking the remaining chess parts off the board.  
"What's so unfair about that?" Ron said as he stuffed a Chocolate Frog into his mouth. Then he offered some to Harry and Hermione. Harry took one while Hermione impatiently brushed Ron's hand away when he offered her one.  
"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, you two should start spending some time reading educational books and not just... not just these sports books," She said as she gingerly picked up Ron's copy of Quidditch Throughout the Ages which was lying on the floor.  
"Well, I am contented with my lack of literature, thank you." Ron said as he fixed the chessboard. Harry started to laugh then stopped as Hermione shot him a stern look.  
"Anyway, I met this Durmstrang student. He said his name was Viktor Poliakoff. You should be more like him. He was in the Herbology section, looking for a book about herbs. You should be ashamed. You are the ones who study here at Hogwarts but you never visit your own library." Hermione said.  
"Oh, I wouldn't say that..." Harry whispered to Ron, who smirked in return. Harry's adventures also involved the library in some occasions.  
Suddenly, the big grandfather clock chimed. It was time for dinner.  
"Oh good! I'm starving!" Ron said as he stuffed one last Chocolate Frog into his mouth. The three went off to the Great Hall, with Hermione sulking a bit behind them.  
  
  
The Great Hall was full and it was noisier than ever, since Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were visiting and staying for the remainder of the year. The meal started without delay. Chippolatas, Yorkshire pudding, sausages, roast beef, corn dogs and many more appeared on their golden plates.  
Harry was in the middle of a conversation with Dean Thomas about soccer when...  
"Look 'Arry! Look!" Ron suddenly said, spraying Harry with carrots. He pulled Harry's arm excitedly.  
"What? I'm looking, I'm looking!" He winced at Ron's tight grip.  
"It's V-Viktor Krum!" Ron exclaimed. Suddenly, half the Gryffindor table together with hundreds of other heads in the Great Hall turned to look. Seamus, Dean and Lee gave each other a high-five. The Weasley twins stared open-mouthed at Viktor Krum. Even Lavender and Parvati seemed excited.  
"Who's Viktor Krum?" Hermione asked. Ron gave out a laugh.  
"What planet did you come from? We watched him in the Quidditch World Cup, Hermione! Krum's a student in Durmstrang and he's the Seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch team and he's the youngest professional player at this moment. Look at him. There he is!" Ron said as he pointed at a Durmstrang student whose back was turned to them because he was already seated at the Slytherin table, deep in conversation with some of his schoolmates.  
"Yeah, but he looks a bit surly and duck-footed to me." Harry replied while biting into a drumstick.  
"Wicked... Wood would die if he was still here." Hermione heard Dean Thomas say. Oliver Wood was the former captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch house team, not to mention a die-hard fan of Quidditch.  
"Oh, well... I wasn't really watching the game then but I do hope that your Viktor Krum is as pleasant as Viktor Poliakoff." Hermione said, not even bothering to look.   
Throughout the whole meal, Ron kept goggling at Viktor Krum while Harry kept stealing some of the Yorkshire pudding on Ron's plate and also occasionally turning to goggle at Krum with Ron. After the filling dinner, the whole student body stood up and began to return to their respective dormitories, drifting off to sleep while dreaming about chippolatas and Yorkshire pudding.  
  
It was a sunny Saturday morning when Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to go to the Quidditch field. Harry brought his Firebolt while both Ron and Hermione used the school's brooms, Cleansweep 7.  
Hermione, a bit scared of heights, stayed on the ground while Harry and Ron soared high.  
"Hey Harry! Look at my Wronski Feint!" Ron yelled as he excitedly soared fifty feet into the air. Then he did some sort of lopsided Quidditch trick move.   
"Hey, I can do that too!" Harry yelled as he soared ten feet higher than Ron did.  
"Oh, you both come down here! You don't even know how to that Wonky-Fake thing! You might hurt yourself!" Hermione cautioned. After casting a spell on the broom that would prevent her from falling, she finally mounted the Cleansweep 7. She flew only about fifteen feet from the ground.  
"Don't be a killjoy, Hermione! Look, it's fun up here." Ron called down to Hermione.  
"No, I'm fine down here, Thank you."  
"Suit yourself! Oh, hey Ron! I bet you can't catch up with me. Wanna race and see who goes fastest?" Harry challenged.  
"Oh that's rubbish! Ron, don't-" Hermione started to warn them. But it was too late. Both Harry and Ron sped off their brooms in very high speed.  
"What a stupid thing to do!" Hermione sighed inwardly. She started to bring herself back to the ground, muttering about boys and their silly urge to compete with one another.  
When suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.  
"Oh!" Hermione almost fell off her broom but her spell stopped her from doing so. She hang there in mid-air as if there was an invisible force, she flew back to the handle.  
"Oh!" Hermione said again as she whirled around to see whoever startled her.  
It was Viktor Poliakoff.  
"I am sorry for surprising you. I did not know you would be surprised." His Bulgarian accent was thicker than ever. He had a Firebolt with him. The two looked funny talking about two to three feet on the air mounted on their broomsticks.  
"Oh, it's alright... I was just about to go in." Hermione landed on the ground with a thud.  
"I see... Vell, I vas about to practice Quidditch because I am getting, how do you say... a bit rusty." Viktor laughed quite bitterly. He was still in the air.  
"Really now? Are you any good?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.  
Viktor Krum could hardly believe his ears. This girl... she didn't know who he was. Viktor thought it might've been an act at first. But he saw that there was actually curiosity in the girl's eyes, whatever her name was...   
"A little. Let me show you what I can do. Here, take this." Viktor said. He handed her a golden ball and soared off to the air. The golden ball was actually a snitch!  
"Wow, is this yours?" Hermione yelled up to him. She noticed that he was flying higher and faster than Harry was on his Firebolt.  
"Yes, I'd like to carry one in case I'd have to practice."  
Viktor carried a Snitch so he could practice his moves whenever he had spare time. Their last game with Ireland cost them the Quidditch World Cup. Viktor caught the Snitch but Ireland still won since they were about ten or twenty points short. His teammates told Viktor to practice by getting the Snitch as soon as possible but never when the other team was winning.  
"So, is that your Firebolt?"  
"Yes. It was given by our team's sponsors."  
"What? I can't hear you down here!" Hermione yelled. Viktor could've smacked himself on the head. He didn't want to blow off his cover right now. He wanted to have privacy... and a real friend who didn't care that he was Viktor Krum, youngest professional Seeker in the whole Quidditch history. He wanted someone who would be his friend simply because that person liked him for what he really was.  
"I mean, it was given to me by my parents!" Viktor yelled a bit louder.  
"I see. Okay then, I'm letting the Snitch go!" Hermione said. She opened her closed fist and a golden ball came whizzing swiftly about. Viktor suddenly came charging down for it. Viktor's speed and agility to control his broomstick stunned Hermione. For Hermione, she was helpless in flying. But Viktor Poliakoff made it look like as if he could do it in his sleep. He even did some kind of somersault. Krum knew he was already showing off but deep inside he felt as if he had to do something to impress this girl.  
After a few turns and dives, with matching 'oohs' and 'aahs' from Hermione, Krum caught the Snitch. He plunked it down on Hermione's open hand. She was smiling with admiration.  
"You're good." She said, a bit breathlessly.  
Krum's chest sank a bit. Good, that's all she could say? Thousands of people have told him how spectacular or how marvelous he was and it almost didn't matter to him. But this girl, saying that he was "good" mattered more than anything else to him. He wanted it just to be like the others, saying it was "amazing" or "superb".  
"Thank you." Krum said, though a bit reluctantly.  
"Oh, I just remembered! I have to mail a letter to my parents. They told me to mail them once a week. My friend Ron said I could use his owl, Pig. Do you want to come with me to the Owlery?"  
"Vell, I don't haff anything to do... Vell, all right."  
"Okay, then. Let's go." Hermione said. Viktor landed the ground without so much as a thud in front of Hermione. Then they headed off to the Owlery.  
  
Krum was most grateful that they met no one on the way. As soon as he stepped into the Owlery, he felt his breath caught in his throat. There were different owls with varying shapes, color and sizes. Some where flying around, some where eating, some were hidden under their wings and some were simply staring at them. Seeing all these birds flying around reminded him of the way he felt whenever he was soaring up in the air during a Quidditch match. Krum had never felt so fascinated in his life. Not by the owls, but by the girl. She seemed to be so poised and calm even if there were owls hooting down at them. Viktor couldn't help but feel quite edgy at the sight of their steely talons.  
"You see, I'd like to keep in touch with my parents when I am away. They're both dentists." Hermione said as she scribbled a letter on a piece of parchment she hid in her robes. Then she flashed the letter to Krum.  
  
Mom and Dad,  
Hello, how have you been? I am having a lovely time in Hogwarts. I was able to receive top marks at Arithmancy, Charms and Transfiguration, as usual. I am also doing remarkably well at Potions and in Ancient Runes. We have a new teacher in Defense Against Dark Arts. His name is Mad-Eye Moody. He taught and demonstrated to us the Three Unforgivable curses. I think he's a good teacher. By the way, my dress robes are a tad too big so I cast a minor Shrinking Spell on it. I am quite nervous on the upcoming exams. But I am certain I will do good. Well, I believe this is where I should end. I shall be seeing you soon. Goodbye for now.  
  
With love,  
Hermione  
  
The sudden bonging of the huge grandfather clock startled the two. A few owls began flying around restlessly.  
"It's time for lunch. Are you hungry?" Hermione asked.  
"A little. But I still haff to get something in the ship."  
"Well, see you in the Great Hall then."  
"Vell, OK."  
"Are you sure you can manage? I can get come with you because you might get lost, you know." The Hogwarts grounds were very vast and a student unfamiliar with it can get lost, even inside the castle.  
"I can manage. Thank you." Viktor was sure that they'd be meeting other students on the way to the Great Hall. And once they meet him on the way, they're going to make him blow his cover off. He didn't want to risk losing a friend... a real friend who put up with him not because he was a famous person but an average person.   
"Okay then, if you say so. If you get lost though, I'm sure our gamekeeper Hagrid, will find you..." Hermione trailed off.   
"Thank you. I hope to see you soon. Goodbye!"   
Hermione watched the retreating figure of Viktor Poliakoff. She wondered why he insisted on being alone. Hermione shrugged the question off as she headed down to the Great Hall, immediately forgetting about how Viktor Poliakoff brushed her off quickly.  
  
***  
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The chapter has now ended. 


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